Well drill



May 2%; 1923' A. J. SCHEPP ET AL WELL DRILL Filed June 9, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 e/Wtom May 29, 1923.

A. J. SCHEPP ET AL WELL DRILL 3 Sheets- 3 Filed June 9, 1921 A. J ,gg? (Sc/M Patented May 29, 123.

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ALBERT J. SCHEPP AND HERMAN J. SCHEPP, OF MANHATTAN, KANSAS.

WELL

Application filed June 9,

This invention relates to an improved well drill at the electrically operated type and one object of the invention is to provide a drill having a construction which will permit of a well being drilled relatively deep withoutthe use of well tubing and which will further permit a motor positioned within a casing forming part of the drill to be I supplied with current by means of electric conductors which extend down through the hoisting cable of the drill.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drill having improved gear and shaft elements for transmitting rotary movement from the electric motor within the casing to the drill bit forming part of the drill.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this drill that the motor may be ositioned in a portion of a casing which will be filled with oil thus providing an oil bath for the motor to prevent overheating of the motor.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this drill that the transmission caring between the motor shaft and drill s haft may be mounted in a gear frame reniovably positioned in the casing of the drill thus permitting the same to be withdrawn in a. body. I

Another object of the invention is to so construct this drill that a pump may be associated with the same for forcing water down through the drill bit shaft and out through an opening in the drill header bit thus serving to prevent clogging in the lower portion of the well being drilled.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for holding the drill casing against rotary movement in the well and thus prevent danger of the hoisting cable being twisted by the weii casing rotating.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved guiding means for centering the drili in the well. the guiding means being in the form. ribs thus providing passages DRILL.

1921. Serial NO. 476,292.

between ribs so that the drill may be easily drawn out of the well and further to permit water to pass up around the drill casing and be sucked into the pump which forces the water down through the bit shaft.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drill of the character described which can be readily taken apart for cleaning and repair purposes when necessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drill which will be very efficient in operation and which will not readily get out of order.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

- Figures 1, 2. 3 and 4 are companion views which when placed end to end will provide a view showing the drill principally in longitudinal section and partially in elevation.

Figure 5 is a view showing the drill in elevation upon a reduced scale, the drill being shown in place within a well being drilled.

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective of the removable gear frame.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional taken along the line.88 of Fig. 2.

Figure 9 is 'a transverse sectional taken along the line 99 of Fig. 8.

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional taken along the line 10- -10 of Fig. 4.

This improved drill is provided with a casing having an upper section 1, an intermediate section 2 and a lower section 3 view view

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which ar releasably' connected by coupling blocks *1 and 5 screw-threaded into the adjoining end portions of the casing sections as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper casing section 1 is provided with a head 6 having an opening formed therein through which passes the lower end portion of a hoisting cable 7. the hoisting cabie being formed of twisted strands and having as a core insulated conductor wires 8. A packing gland 9 is providedat the upper end of the opening 10' through which the cable or hoisting line 7 passes, and the inner end portion of this cable is spread as shown in Fig. l and anchored by pouring lead 11 into the head. The conductor wires 8 extend through this lead 11 and are connected wit the contacts 12 carried by the plate 13 which is secured to the inner end. of the head. These contacts 12 engage the contacts or terminals 14 carried by the end plates 15 of the slotted casing 16 in which the motor 17 is placed when the head is screwed into the upper end of the casing section 1. It will thus be seen that when the head- 1 is put in place, proper contact will be provided so that current may be supplied to the motor and when the current is turned on," the motor caused to rotate. The motor shaft 18 extends downwardly through the upper casing section 1 and into the coupling 4 and is provided at its lower end with a clutch ele ment 19 of a conventional construction.

Within the intermediate casing section 2 there has been provided a removable gear frame 20 which is shown in place in Fig. 2 and shown in perspective in Fig. 6. This ear frame is cut out to provide upper and Tower pockets 21 and 22 and an intermediate pocket or gear chamber 23, the intermediate pocket 23 having a wall section 24 which terminates short of the lower end portion of the gear frame to provide room for the bevel gear 25 mounted at the upper end of the shaft 26 which is rotatably mounted in the bushings 27 and carries a pinion 28 at its lower end beneath the gear frame. frame which is releasably held in the intermediate casing section by means of a setscrevn 29 is provided with a neck 30 at its upper end which extends into the coupling 4 and is provided with a groove 32 toreceive a packing 33. A shaft 34 which may be termed a drive-shaft for the gearing is rotatably mounted in the neck 30 and bushing 35 and has its upper end extending above the neck and provided with a clutch element 36 provided for interlocking engagement with the clutch element 19. This clutch 36 restsupon the thrust bearing 37 and it will thus be seen that the weight of the motor, motor casing and shaft 18 will be supported by the thrust bearing. This bearing is carried by the gear frame which is rigidly secured to the intermediate casing section 2 and therefore a very good support has been provided. A train of gearing indicated in general by the numeral 38 has been provided in the ear frame and inclndes'a bevel gear 38 which meshes with the bevel gear 25 and a bevel gear 39 which meshes with the bevel gear 40 carried by the shaft 34. From an inspection of Fig. 2, it will be seenthat this train of gears constitutes speed reducing means so that the shaft 26 turns at a relatively low rate of speed compared with the speed of the motor shaft 18 and drive shaft 34.

The hollow bit shaft 41 which carries the drill bit 42Jis connected with the bit 42 by having its lower end portion connected with the collar 43. This bit 42 is provided with a water passage 44 so that water forced down through the bit shaft 41 ma pass out through this opening 44 to wash t e ground This gear the ends of the sliding valve rock away and thus prevent clogging, This hollow bit shaft 41 extends up the lower casing section 3 and has its upper end rigid! connected with a connecting shaft 45 whic extends through the coupling 5 and is provided at its upper end with a gear 46 having internal teeth meshing with the teeth of the pinion 28. It will thus be seen that when the shaft 26 is rotating, the shaft 45 willalso be rotated and thus rotary movement imparted to the hollow bit carrying shaft 41. The coupling 5 is provided at its upper end with a bearin pocket in which. will be provided anti-frictionballs 47 engaged by the outstanding collar 48 formed i near the upper end of the shaft 45. A bearing collar 48 is mounted upon the lowel end portion of this shaft 45 for engaging the anti-friction balls 49 and a packing 50 is provided between the collar 48 and conpling 5 so that passage of oil past this collar 48 may be prevented. It will thus be seen that when the lubricating oil is poured into the drill casing through the openings which are normally closed by the threaded plugs 51, the oil may be confined in the proper area of the casing.

As previously stated, it is desired to have water forced down through the hollow bit carrying shaft 41 and in order to do so, there has been provided a pump havin a body portion or block 52 positioned in t e casing section 3 and provided with upper and lower head plates 53 having openings formed therein as shown at 54 to re ister with the inlet port 55 of the pump bo y or block 52. This port 55 communicates with the chamber 56 through which the shaft passes as shown in Figures 3 and 9. From an inspection'of Fig. 9, itwill be noted that this chamber 56 is provided eccentric to the center of the shaft 41 thus providing cam faces of the walls for the chamber for engaging bar 57 which slidably passes through openings formed in no the hollow shaft. This sliding valve bar is provided with recesses or cups 58 and it will be readily seen that as theshaft 41 rotates the valve bar will be moved transversely of the shaft and will first extend to force water ahead of it and will then move inl wardly out of the way, at the same time providing f one of the recesses a passage permitting the water to pass from the pump chamber 56 into the interior of the hollow shaft 41. Inlet ports 59 are provided in the tube casing section 3 beneath the level of the pump and a screen 60 is provided within the well tube casing between the upper and lower screen carrying and securing rings 61 so that the water which passes into this casing tube section may be screened and thus ground rock and other material which might choke up the pump and bit, be prevented from entering the well tube sections. By

meanest having the water drawn into the Well tube section at a relatively high point, most of the ground rock and other sediment will be at a. point below the point of water inlet and there will be little danger of the device becoming clogged up.

,When this device is in use, it is desired to have the casing held in spaced relation to the walls of the Well which is being drilled and therefore the drill casing will be provided with vertically extending ribs 62 which will properly center the drill and further permit water to pass up around the tube for entering the'casing through the inlet ports 59. It is also desired to permit the drill to have sufficient weight for proper cutting through hard rock and therefore disks 63 which may be formed of any heavy material may be placed within the lower tube section 3 as shown in Fig.

. 4. It is also desired to prevent the drill tion which might cause the hoisting cable to be twisted and therefore the tubing will be provided with a base portion 64 reduced to provide an annular pocket in Which fins 65 may be pivotally mounted as shown in Figs. 4 and 10. These fins are curved longitudinally as shown in Fig. 10 and are engaged by springs 66 which normally force them outwardly to engage the walls of the well. It will thus be seen that although these fins will permit the drill tube to turn in one direction, they will effectively prevent reverse turning.

When this drill is in use, it will be connected with a conventional construction of hoisting machine including a drum upon which the cable 7 will be wound and electric current will be supplied to the conductor wires 8 so that current may be supplied to the motor 17. As the motor rotates, rotary movement will be transmitted from the motor shaft 18 to the driving shaft 34 and by means of the chain of gears, rotary movement will be transmitted from the shaft 34 to the shaft 26 with the shaft 26 rotating at a slower rate of speed than the shaft 34. From this shaft 26 the rotary movement is transmitted to the shaft 45 and'since this shaft 45 is secured to the upper end of the bit shaft 41 as the shaft 41 and bit 42 rotate, the bit will cut its way down through the rock thus forming a vertical well as shown in Fig. 5. This well will be of a diameter to receive the drill with the ribs engaging passes into the bit shaft, it will flow down through the hollow shaft and will pass out through the opening 44. Therefore, the water will be forced out of the opening 44 in a strong stream which will serve to wash the ground rock and dirt away from the bit and thus prevent choking. By having the water, drawn into the drill casing at a point intermediate its height as shown in Fig; 5, the water will be taken at a height where the sediment will be at a mininium and therefore there will not be much danger of the pump being choked especially in view of the fact that a protecting screen 60 has been provided. After a certain length of time so much sediment will be formed by the ground rock that the device cannot operate properly and it is then necessary to withdraw the drill and after'bailing out the accumulated sediment, replace the drill, and commence drilling again. It will thus be seen that a very eflicient drill has been provided and further that a pump has been provided which can be readily taken apart for cleaning.

It will also-be noted that since the upper and intermediate sections of the casing will be filled with lubricating oil, the gearing and motor will be immersed in oil and overheating will be prevented due to the fact that the heat will be carried outwardly to the walls of the two sections by this oil and this heat taken up by the water in the bottom of the well. It will be further noted that the oil in the upper casing section will be permitted to circulatefreely about the motor through the longitudinally extending slots in the casing section. An inspection of Fig. 1 will show that although the motor fits tightly in the casing 16, the slots provide space between the motor and the walls of the upper section 1 thereby providing space to permit the oil to circulate.

We claim:

1. A well drill comprising a casing, a bit shaft extending into the casing, a motor in the casing, transmission means in the casing between the motor and bit shaft, spacing ribs extending longitudinally of the casing, fins pivotally connected with the casing, and resilient means holding the fins extended radially from the casing for engaging the walls of a well and preventing rotation of the casing in one direction.

2. An electrically operatedw ell drill comprising a casing having a water inlet, a hollow rotatable bit shaft extending into thecasing, a pump carried by the shaft'within said casing for drawing water from the casing and forcing the water into the bit shaft, an electrically operated motor in said casing, means for transmittin rotary movement from the motor to the hit shaft, a hoisting element for the casin and means for conducting current into the casing to the motor.

3'. An electrically operated well drill com- I prising a tubular casing, a hollow bit shaft extending into and rotatably mounted in the casing, a bit carried by the bit shaft and having a water outlet, a pump carried by the shaft Within the casing and having an inlet communicating withthe interior of thecasing and an outlet communicating with the interiorof the shaft, the casing being provided with a water inlet, an electric motor in said casing. means for transmitting rotary movement from the motor to the bit shaft, and a hoisting cable connected with and extending into the casing and having as -transmission means in the intermediate section for transmitting rotary movement from the motor to the bit shaft.

5. The structure of claim t having the transmission means comprising a frame removably secured in the intermediate section, shafts in the end portions of the frame having driving connections with the bit shaft and motor shaft, and a train of gearing rotatably mounted in the frame and having operative connection with the gears in the end portions of the frame.

6. An electrically operated well drill comprising a casing having an upper section, a lower-section, and in intermediate section, a hollow bit shaft extending into the lower section, a rotary pump carried by the shaft within the lower section for forcing water intothe shaft, an electrically operated motor in the upper section, transmission means in the intermediate section for transmitting rotary movement from-the motor to the bit shaft, a hoisting cable for the casing, and

conductor means for supplying current to the motor.

T. An electrically operated drill compris ing a casing having upper, lower and intermediate sections," hollow coupling blocks screwed into adjoining ends of the section to releasably connectthe same, an electric motor in the upper section having a motor shaft, a bit shaft extending up into the lower section, a gear shaft connected with the bit shaft and extending through the lower coupling and having an internally toothed gear head at its upper end, a transmission in the intermediate section including a frame having a neck extending into the upper coupling, a train of gearing in the frame, a lower shafthaving a pinion ,meshing with the gear head of the gear shaft, and an upper shaft extending through the neck and having operative engagement with the motor shaft.

8. The structure of claim-4 having a'tubular casing for the motor positioned in the upper section and open at its lower end, the casing holding the motor in spaced relation to the walls of the upper section and having slots extending above and below the motor for permitting a lubricant'in the upper section to circulate about the motor.

9. The structure of claim 4:, and a spacing element in the upper section extending be tween themotor and the walls of the upper section and having longitudinally extending lubricant passages permitting passage of a lubricant past the motor.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

ALBERT J, SCHIGPP. HERMAN J. SCllEPP. 

